Get Into the Outdoors from the Comfort of Your Home with Google Street View!

Want to visit Joshua Tree National Park but are not quite sure what to expect? Curious about the Lincoln Memorial? Can’t get time off to travel to the places you want to see quite yet? Google has a somewhat temporary solution to all these scenarios: Street View.

Coordinating with Parks Canada and the US National Park Service, Google Street View can now take you on a virtual tour of many outdoor recreation destinations, including national monuments. By visiting their Views page, you can check out 360 degree views of Banff National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore, the Alamo, and more, with a little information about the location and history of the place.

While it will most certainly never replace the real thing, using Google Street View to see the outdoors can serve as inspiration for a trip, self education, and just good old-fashioned entertainment when the doldrums set in. Try it for yourself, we dare you not to have a little fun!